In 1986-1994, Afsan was on the staff of UNICEF, where he worked on program
communication and information activities. During his time at UNICEF,
he contributed greatly to policy documents on AIDS and the media in
India and Nepal. He was also named an Ashoka Fellow for his innovative work on sexual education among the Bangladeshi youth.
Recently,
Chowdhury has carried out independent assignments on developmental
media and management issues for multiple international organizations,
including UNDP and OXFAM. He has also worked as the Regional Director for Panos South Asia, and the Director of Advocacy and Human Rights for the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), one of the world's largest NGOs.
Afsan has written multiple books on health and environmental issues,
refugees, and minority rights and identity.
Additionally, Chowdhury has extensive experience in the print and broadcast
media. He has been on the editorial staff of or acted as a contributor to
leading Bangladeshi newspapers and journals for more than 20 years,
and has contributed frequently to the BBC World Service and the BBC
South Asian Service. He has also produced multiple video documentaries
on social, political, and developmental issues in Bangladesh. His latest
work to receive critical acclaim is a documentary film about climate
change, "Who Cares if Bangladesh Drowns?"
